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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30021513">Heavy Hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banashee/pseuds/Banashee'>Banashee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo ROUND 2 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gentleness, Height Differences, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Touch-Starved, Touching, Trauma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:42:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,050</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30021513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banashee/pseuds/Banashee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hulk has changed - but so has Bruce. When he finally changes back into his smaller, human form, he is disoriented and more than a little anxious. But Bruce hugs Thor as soon as he realizes he is there. He clings onto his larger form as if he is afraid Thor might leave if he doesn’t hold on, but he wraps him up in his large, warm arms and just holds onto Bruce, half naked, wearing Hulk’s way too large pants and silly necklace and all. Neither of them cares - they have found each other again, and that is all that counts.</p><p>-</p><p>10/25: Tearful Smile</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner/Thor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo ROUND 2 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981954</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heavy Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Bad Things Happen Bingo - Round 2!<br/>Originally, I had this aaaall planned out as a NaNoWriMo project, but I decited to scrap that. Instead, I'll just write little snippets for each prompt and safe the larger ideas for another time. I'll write them - one day...<br/>*Looks at giant pile of unfinished ideads and projects*<br/>*nervous laughter dissolving into desperate sobbing*<br/>-</p><p>As always, I'm crossposting these stories on my Tumblr.<br/>https://banashee.tumblr.com/</p><p>You can get your own Bingo Card over at<br/>https://badthingshappenbingo.tumblr.com/</p><p> </p><p>The cover for this fic was made with a free to use photo from Unsplash</p><p>--</p><p>All you need to know before you read is this:<br/>Bruce/Nat never happened, Age of Ultron still happened, except Bruce and Thor had and still have feelings for one another that they may or may not have acted on at the time. The main part of this is set basically while and after the events of Thor Ragnarok, all before the start of Infinity War and Thano's attack on the spaceship.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    
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  <strong>Heavy Hearts</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Time is a strange thing. </p><p>One moment, they're fighting aliens, Hydra or murder-robots together and the next moment, everything goes to shit. Hulk takes the jet and disappears - nobody knows where to, and there is no way to reach him once he shuts off all communication. </p><p>It is remarkable, really, just how smart Hulk really is. Truth be told, none of them was even aware he knows how to use technology in the first place, but then again, he does share a body and a brain with Bruce, so maybe that’s why. The end result stays the same - Hulk is angry and terrified, so he leaves. This, too, might very well be partially due to Bruce himself being scared and convinced he is unworthy of love and support. Unfortunately, the team still couldn’t convince him that, yes, he is loved and deserving of support, but it is certainly not for the lack of trying on their part. Some things just take more time. Time they don’t have - not anymore.</p><p>Thor knows this, intimately well. He, too, leaves after everything is said and done. He’s got a new mission, and it will take him on a journey through the nine realms and even further than that.</p><p> </p><p>Over a thousand years of lifetime and travel should have gotten Thor used to missing home - missing loved ones. But as it is, missing people still hurts - especially after so many things were left unsaid. Secrets kept to themselves, or occasionally whispered in the dark. </p><p>Well. Things had gone south before the slowly developing feelings in between them could have been explored. </p><p> </p><p>Two more years pass, and Thor finds himself stranded on Sakaar, standing in an arena, carrying weapons and armor that are not his own. </p><p>He is surrounded by a crowd of strangers who would love to see him fail. He refuses to do so out of sheer spite, not to mention pride - he might be at a low point, but giving up isn’t like him at all. Especially not when he can fight and defend himself. </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, there is green smoke everywhere and the crowd is exploding with cheers when the gate on the other side opens. </p><p>Just a moment later, none other than Hulk comes thundering into the arena and Thor can’t help but cheer loudly as soon as he sees him. It must be confusing as hell to everyone else, but of all things to happen here, this isn’t even on the list of scenarios he would have thought of. Thor is beyond happy to see his green friend, seeing that he is alive. Seeing him again, period.</p><p>If he is honest with himself, he wasn’t sure if he could ever see either Hulk or Bruce again after the Ultron fiasko. </p><p> </p><p>Hulk has changed - but so has Bruce. When he finally changes back into his smaller, human form, he is disoriented and more than a little anxious. But Bruce hugs Thor as soon as he realizes he is there. He clings onto his larger form as if he is afraid Thor might leave if he doesn’t hold on, but he wraps him up in his large, warm arms and just holds onto Bruce, half naked, wearing Hulk’s way too large pants and silly necklace and all. Neither of them cares - they have found each other again, and that is all that counts.</p><p> </p><p>They’re embracing in a jet that is pretty much a pile of garbage at this point, and the Grandmaster’s public call for the “lost” - more like escaped - champions rings the entire immediate area. </p><p>They are well aware that they are on borrowed time for now, but they cling for just a moment longer. Thor presses a quick kiss into the smaller man’s salt and pepper curls, which results in a surprised but happy noise from him, then they let go of each other. </p><p>Neither of them wants to let go, not really. It’s been way too long since they saw each other, and even longer since they had a minute of privacy, but if they don’t get out of here quickly, chances are they won’t see each other again. There is no way they’ll risk this, so they let go. </p><p>Besides, Bruce should have at least a chance to get some clothes on before they have to run off to find a way away from this planet.The only nearby clothes in this jet belonged to Tony - they fit, but Bruce keeps complaining about their tightness, especially the pants. Thor is torn between laughter and admiring the scientists ass in those tight pants. His choice is a mix of both as the two of them make their way across town.</p><p> </p><p>All of this? It’s only the beginning.</p><p>
  <br/>
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</p><p>Just a few days later, Bruce finds himself in a spaceship, alongside Thor, Loki, Brunhilde, the other surviving Asgardians as well as Korg and Miek. They’re an interesting group for sure, and for now, they’re all they have to each other. </p><p> </p><p>They’re floating through nothingness and it is constantly dark outside. Just how deep in space they are, Bruce doesn’t know and he doesn’t ask. Now, that the adrenaline of the last few days has worn off, he finds himself even more anxious and exhausted than before. Spending two years in the back of his own mind, with Hulk in control the entire time has been taxing - more so than he’d thought at first. </p><p>It comes to no surprise that he is struggling. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as he can disappear into the room that is designated as his, Bruce spends a considerable amount of time curled up on the floor. He is shaking, sweating and feeling like he might drop dead with a heart attack soon - it doesn’t happen. </p><p>“It’s a panic attack, you’re not dying.” the rational part of his brain is trying to tell him, but panic doesn’t mix well with logic. </p><p>Even when he is calmer, Bruce feels drained and weak and miserable. Breathing is harder than it ever has been, and it takes every last bit of strength to crawl into the bed. </p><p> </p><p>No one else is in the room with him. Bruce wishes for company, wishes for someone to touch and hold close, someone to find comfort in. Well, not just “someone”. </p><p>He wants to be with Thor, because he is not only a close friend, it also seems like their feelings for each other are still as strong as they had been two years ago. Any other day, this would make him jump in joy, but so much has happened - Bruce doesn’t have it in him to seek Thor out or call for him. </p><p>He has been through a lot and lost so much - asking him to help, even though he has already helped him more than he probably deserves, seems unnecessary and cruel. If anything, it should be his turn to help Thor, Bruce thinks, but he knows he doesn’t have the strength to do so right now. It only makes him miss Thor more, even though they are only a room or two apart. </p><p> </p><p>Bruce misses being touched. He’s spent a long time alone, spent a long time as Hulk, and then he came back to a kind and familiar face - he didn’t even ask for a hug, he just went for it and found himself lucky that apparently, Thor had missed him just as much and held him for minutes. They would have stayed like this forever, if it hadn’t been for the entire situation, but right now Bruce would give anything to be back in the crashed jet if it means he could be close to Thor. </p><p>But right now, Bruce is alone. </p><p> </p><p>He is overwhelmed with too many thoughts and feelings with Hulk screaming in the back of his mind. The room around him is cold - space is cold as hell in general, but the ship is, too. They don’t know how long they will be in here, and every bit of energy they can save is precious. </p><p>Bruce is shivering, not just from the panic and the chilly air that is creeping under his clothes and into his bones, but also from too many emotions. </p><p>Now that Hulk seems to refuse to make an appearance anytime soon, Bruce is left to deal with them on his own. He curls up even tighter than before and can’t hold back the tears anymore. No one is here to see, so he doesn’t care and just lets the storm of emotions wash over him. There is a bone-deep exhaustion and drags him down, even as Bruce is quietly crying himself to sleep in an nearly empty room in an alien spaceship. </p><p> </p><p>When he wakes up, he does so pressed into a warm, solid body and with a large hand gently stroking his hair. It takes Bruce a moment to remember where he is and what happened, and then it occurs to him that he fell asleep alone. Now, however, he’s got company. Carefully, he tries to move his stiff body to turn around.</p><p>“Apologies, I did not mean to wake you.” a deep, familiar voice says. </p><p>Thor - of course. Who else would it be? He sounds rough, and just as exhausted as Bruce is feeling, despite having slept for a bit. </p><p>He faces him, as well as he can without his glasses. Thor is close enough for Bruce to be able to see that he is smiling at him, but he does so while his face is wet with tears. </p><p>Without thinking, Bruce shuffles closer and wraps both arms around the other man’s large torso, face buried in his shoulder and starts stroking through his closely cropped hair. </p><p>It is probably going to take him a while to get used to this. Not because it looks bad or anything, on the contrary - it suits Thor. But when they last had a bit of quiet downtime, his hair had fallen down to his shoulders and Bruce spent hours combing through it with his fingers, like golden silk in his hands, while they watched movies back home in the tower with the other Avengers. Thor had been dozing with his head in his lap then, sprawled out and happy and enjoying the moment. </p><p> </p><p>Home, happiness - all of this seems like a lifetime ago now.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, no, it’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.”</p><p>Bruce is holding Thor close as he lightly kisses his scruffy jaw and wipes away a few tears with his thumb. Seeing this strong, wonderful man so incredibly sad and broken, breaks his own heart. </p><p>There is so much Bruce wants to tell him. </p><p>Things like, “I’m sorry it went like this” , “I’m here for you”, “I love you” or, “I need you, too.”, but he doesn’t. Neither of them has the energy for it, but luckily, the two of them don’t always need words. Thor hugs back, trembling in his arms as he is holding on so tightly that it would be painful if it wasn’t exactly what Bruce needs right now. </p><p> </p><p>If he wanted to, Bruce could curl up into a ball and fit himself against Thor’s upper body. When they stand, he can lean his head against his upper arm while standing up straight and he knows, from years of experience and longing, that a hug from Thor feels like being completely enveloped by a gentle giant. It’s the best feeling ever, and even now, as fear and grief hits them both, Bruce finds himself melting into the other man’s touch. Simultaneously, he is doing his best to comfort him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.” Thor keeps repeating over and over again, desperate and way too quietly for someone as loud and full of life as Thor usually is. Bruce doesn’t ask what he is sorry for - he knows, the answer would be “everything” and he is all too familiar with that feeling. </p><p>“It’s not your fault.” he wants to say, but once again, his voice is stuck in his throat. Both of them are crying now, and there is nothing they can do but hold onto one another.</p><p> </p><p>Tomorrow, there will be another day. Another day to live and function and keep their people safe, but for now, they can rest and comfort each other. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*+~</p><p> </p><p>Prompt: Tearful Smile</p>
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